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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Banoffee Pies

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Banoffee pie is one of my favorite desserts. It is not too sweet and the sweetness of the banana melts in your mouth.  You can make one pie for sharing, but it is also a good idea to make individual pies as well. It is a wonderful dessert and it is good with coffee or tea too.

 

Makes 8

Ingredients:

300g can sweet condensed milk

250g plain flour, sifted

110g unsalted butter, chilled

110g pure icing sugar

1 egg yolk

3 small bananas

1/2 lemon, juiced

300ml thick cream

2 tablespoons grated chocolate

 

Submerge the can of condensed milk in a large saucepan of cold water over high heat. Let the water boil. After, reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 3 hours. Add water as needed. Let the can cool and then refrigerate.

Next prepare the pastry y combining the butter, icing and flour in a food processor or electric mixer. Mix it until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Mix until you form a ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 190C.

Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out using a rolling pin. Cut it into 8 pieces and place the dough in 8 individual pans. Chill it for 15 minutes and then line the dough with baking paper. Fill it with uncooked rice. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool. Discard the rice and the baking paper.

Open the refrigerated condensed milk and pour a little onto the crusts. Smooth the top and place some bananas (sliced). Squeeze some lemon juice and then add some more condensed milk (toffee). Top with whipped cream and then bananas. Sprinkle with chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  dichohecho

 

Australian Meat Pie

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Meat pie is considered a national dish in Australia and New Zealand. It is a famous snack that everyone enjoys. If the Americans eat hotdogs while watching games in stadiums, Aussies enjoy their meat pies.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

500g beef chuck, minced

1 tablespoon corn flour

3/4 cup beef stock

3/4 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon Vegemite (optional)

1 tablespoon celery seed

Salt and pepper

4 sheets puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 (F) degrees.

Dissolve the corn flour in a tablespoon of stock until it forms a thick paste.  Combine it with the remaining stock, vegemite, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce and celery seeds; mix well.

In a pan, heat the olive oil under medium low heat. Saute the garlic and onions for two minutes before adding the beef. Fry it for 10 minutes or until it is brown. Pour in the stock mixture and let it boil. Season it with salt and pepper. After, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Transfer it to a container and let the filling cool.

With a rolling pin, roll out 2 sheets of pastry until it is 1/2 inch thick. Prepare palm sized tart molds. You can use bigger ones if you wish. Line the molds with the pastry and then line the pastry with foil. Prebake it for 8-10 minutes and let it cool.

Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out lids for the pies. Put generous amounts of filling in the prebaked crusts. Cover with the cut out pastry lids and seal it with the egg wash. Brush the lids with the remaining egg wash. Bake it for 8-10 minutes or until the pies are golden brown.

Let the pies cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: dave.palmater

One Roll Fruit Pie

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Very simple, fast and sweet, this dish is really easy to make, and looks great after a little practice – and of course, you can never practice too much with desserts!

Rhubarb

Try using soft fruits – such as Rhubarb, Gooseberries and Plums, and make sure that they are trimmed down to get rid of any stalks or leaves to make sure that they are nice and smooth throughout. Personally, I think you can’t go wrong with the different tastes that you get with the Rhubarb, as well as the range of colours that you get.

To Serve 8
175g Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
100g Butter, diced plus extra for greasing
1tbsp Water
1 Egg, separated
Crushed Sugar Cubes, for sprinkling
600g Prepared Fruit, such as Rhubarb, Gooseberries or Plums
85g Soft Light Brown Sugar
1tbsp Ground Ginger

1. Sift the Flour into a large bowl, before adding the Butter, and rub together with your fingertips to create a mixture similar to Breadcrumbs. At this point, add the Water and mix to form soft dough. Cover and chill in a refrigerator for about thirty minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 200C and grease a baking tray.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a circular shape about thirty five centimetres across. Place on the baking tray, and brush with Egg Yolk.
4. In a fresh clean bowl, mix the Fruit with the Brown Sugar and the Ground Ginger, and pile into the centre of the Pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry in all the way around, and brush the top surface with the Egg White, and then sprinkle with the Crushed Sugar Cube.
5. Bake in the oven for thirty five minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Photo Courtesy of: garryknight

Mediterranean Fish Crumble

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A crunchy Crumble topping makes a big difference to a fish pie. The fish can be replaced with others that are more to your liking, but a nice, popular fish is the White Fish that is used here – I’ve had this in the past with Haddock, Salmon or Prawns, and it’s quite nice with a variety of different fish in the same meal.

Mediterranean Fish Crumble

To serve 4
1tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1 Medium Courgette, Diced
1tbsp Tomato Puree
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
75g Pitted Black Olives, Roughly Chopped (optional)
1tbsp Capers
200ml Fish Stock
75g Fresh Brown Breadcrumbs
50g Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated
15g Pine Nuts
25g Butter, Melted
400g White Fish Fillets
Small Handful Fresh Basil, Roughly Chopped

1.       Heat the Oil in a large Saucepan, and add the Onion and Garlic and cook over a medium-low heat for ten minutes. Stir in the Courgette, Tomato Puree, Tomatoes, Olives, Capers and Fish Stock, and bring to the boil, before lowering the heat and simmering for ten minutes until the liquid reduces and the sauce thickens a bit.

2.       Heat the oven to 200C, and make a crumble topping by mixing the Breadcrumbs, Cheese, Pine Nuts and Butter together, before seasoning and setting aside.

3.       Add the Fish and Basil to the sauce and cook for a few minutes until the Fish begins to flake.

4.       Stir gently using a spoon to break the Fish up a bit more, and then pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, before evenly covering with the crunch topping, and then bake for twenty to twenty five minutes, until piping hot through, and the crumble is golden brown

Photo Courtesy of: Anonymous to You

Mississippi Mud Pie

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Nothing says ‘relax’ like a thick slice of this deliciously decadent chocolate pie. Rich in taste, sticky in texture, and astounding to the eyes.

This recipe is in three stages – creating the pastry dish, the filling and then the decorations, so you can create a different taste, and so that you can leave the different stages to different times of day.

To Serve 8
For the Pastry
225g Plain Flour
2tbsp Cocoa Powder
140g Butter
2tbsp Caster Sugar
1-2tbsp Cold Water

For the Filling
175g Butter
350g Soft Dark Sugar
4 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
3tbsp Cocoa Powder, Sifted
150g Plain Chocolate
300ml Single Cream
1tsp Chocolate Essence

For the Decorations
425ml Double Cream, Whipped
Chocolate Flakes and Curls

1.       For the Pastry, sift the Flour and Cocoa into a mixing bowl. Rub the butter into it with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir the sugar and enough water to make a soft dough. Wrap it up in cling film and chill for fifteen minutes.

2.       Heat the oven to 190 C, and roll out the Pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large enough size to line a flan tin or dish. Fill with baking beans and bake in the oven for fifteen minutes. Remove the beans, then bake for ten more minutes, until crisp. Set Aside.

3.       For the filling, beat the Butter and Sugar together, gradually beating in the Eggs and Cocoa powder. Melt the Chocolate, and slowly beat it into the mixture with the Single Cream and Chocolate Essence.

4.       Lower the oven temperature to 160 C, and then pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for forty five minutes – or until the filling has gently set.

5.       Leave the pie to cool completely, and then transfer to a serving plate. Decorate with the Whipped Cream , Chocolate Flakes and Curls. Chill, and serve.

Photo Courtesy of: Fields of View

Chicken Pot Pie

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Chicken Pot PieNothing beats the taste, look and satisfaction of eating a home made pot pie. So easy to make, and can be frozen un-cooked for up to three months to make easier to cook for quick meals. Serve with fresh, seasonal vegetables for a great meal.

To Serve 4

3 Chicken Breasts

500g Chicken Stock

2 Leeks

250g Chestnut Mushrooms

25g Butter

25g Flour

100ml Crème Fraiche

3tsp Flat Leaf Parsley

500g Puff Pastry

1 Egg

1.       Poach the Chicken Breasts with the Chicken Stock for ten minutes.

2.       Trim the Leeks, and slice them into thin half-rings, before adding and simmering for a further ten minutes.

3.       Drain the chicken and Leeks from the liquid (but keep the liquid!), and dice the Chicken (the smaller the pots, the smaller sized pieces), before setting aside.

4.       Boil the stock for ten minutes until it’s reduced. Measure out 300ml, and you can either save, or discard the rest.

5.       Quarter the mushrooms, before cooking in a tablespoon of oil, and set aside.

6.       Melt 25g Butter in the pan, add the flour, then gradually add the stock and heat until the mix is boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the Crème Fraiche, Parsley, Chicken, Leeks and Mushrooms.

7.       Evenly spread into either four small dishes, or a single pie dish, and leave to cool. At this point, you can freeze it if you’d like.

8.       Heat the oven to 200 C or Gas Mark 6.

9.       Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, until 3-4mm thick, and cut out a large enough size to cover the dish, and a long strip to head around the rim of the pie.

10.   Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, and bake for twenty five to thirty minutes, or until golden.

Photo Courtesy of Gtrwndr87

Cheese and Onion Tart

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Sweet Onions with creamy ricotta, this posh vegetarian dish is so tempting that you’ll have to make more for the meat eaters.

It’s also quite healthy, and ready in just over thirty minutes, so very handy as an ‘Oops I’ve forgotten dinner’ dish, without anyone realising!

Serve as part of a Ploughmans Lunch, or in a large slice on a big spread of picky-bits, with a variety of other dishes.

To Serve 6

20cm Shortcrust Pastry Dish

1tsp Olive Oil

4 Medium Onions (Sliced)

3 Sprigs Thyme (leaves only)

50g Tin of Anchovies in Olive Oil (drained and finely Chopped)

1tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Leeks (Sliced)

125g Ricotta Cheese

30g Parmesan (Grated)

1.       Heat the oven to 200 C or Gas Mark 6

2.       Line the pastry case with Baking paper and baking beans, putting in the oven for twenty minutes, before removing the paper and beans, and cooking empty for another five minutes.

3.       Heat the Oil in a frying pan, and add the Onions, Thyme and Anchovies, before cooking for ten minutes.

4.       Add the Sugar and Leeks to the frying pan, and cook for a further ten minutes, stirring well to make sure it’s evenly spread.

5.       Season the Ricotta to taste, and spread over the pastry base. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top, and then spoon the Onion mixture on top of this.

6.       Bake for ten minutes, and serve.

Photo Courtesy of: Kirsten Loza

Pumpkin Pie

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A great use for the inside of those pumpkins you’ve turned into Lanterns. For best results, use ‘Pie Pumpkins’ – usually available from late September through to mid December. They’re smaller, sweeter and have a more edible texture (less grainy than the lantern type). If you do want to use the Lantern type, add 25% more sugar, and blend for much longer after cooking.

Serves 8

Pumpkin

1 cup Sugar

1.5 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground Cloves

1 tsp ground All Spice

½ tsp ground Ginger

½ tsp Salt (optional)

4 large eggs

3 cups pumpkin puree (that you’ll be making!)

1 ½ cans of Evaporated Milk

½ tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

Pie base

1.       Wash the exterior of the Pumpkin in cool or warm water – with no soap, before cutting the pumpkin in half. For cutting the pumpkin, use a blade that’s serrated – a bread knife, or a handsaw (as I’ve seen happen for large amounts of pumpkins!)

2.       Remove the stringy substance and the seeds (keep the seeds for this recipe: roasted pumpkin seeds)

3.       Cook the Pumpkin. You can steam it, microwave it or bake it until soft. I’d recommend microwaving it – the simplest way of doing it. Start off with fifteen minutes, and add more time in small increments – it might take twenty or thirty minutes

4.       Scoop out the cooked pumpkin. It should be soft enough to scoop with a large smooth spoon (like a tablespoon). If cooked well enough, and in large enough chunks, it should be able to be peeled off with just your hands. If there’s any standing water, you might want to let it set for thirty minutes, before pouring any excess off of the pulp.

5.       Puree the Pumpkin. This is where you need to add any extra sugar (if you’ve used a Lantern Pumpkin). Use a handheld blender to make sure that there are no lumps, and that it’s a constant, smooth satiny texture. It should take around two or three minutes, depending on the amount of Pumpkin.

6.       Make the pie crust. You can either make a shortbread pie crust, or buy one from the store. Pre-heat the oven to 210 C or 425 F

7.       Mix the remaining ingredients using a hand blender or mixer.

8.       Pour the pie mix until it’s 1cm (1/2 inch from the top of the dish). Don’t worry if it looks very runny.

9.       Bake the pie at 210 C for the first fifteen minutes, and then turn down to 175 C or 350 F, and bake for another forty five  to sixty minutes – until a clean knife inserted into the centre of the pie comes out clean.

10.   Enjoy! Serve warm or chilled. Whipped Cream, Ice Cream or on it’s own, it’s a beautiful pie – and goes very well with coffee!

Photo courtesy of Maggie Hoffman

Flaky Pie Crust

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This light pie crust comes out of the oven nice and crisp, and suits so many types of pie – both sweet and savoury.

Pie Crust

Makes a ten inch shell

1 ½ cups Plain Flour

2 tbsp Sugar

½ tsp Salt (optional)

2 ½ tbsp Cold Vegetable Shortening

1/3 cup Cold Butter

¼ Cup cold Water

1.       Mix the flour, shortening agent and sugar together. If you’ve got a blender, use this to make sure it’s mixed thoroughly.

2.       Start to add the water. Add it in slowly, until you get pieces sticking together the size of a pea.

3.       Roll out the dough to an even thickness, until it’s just an inch or two wider than the pan you’ll be using.

4.       Place the flattened dough into the pie pan. Don’t worry if it breaks in small areas, they can be fixed by using some of the leftovers with a small amount of water to ‘seal’ the breaks.

5.       Ready to be filled, and then put in the oven to cook!

Lemon Meringue Pie

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Mouth-wateringly good, soft, light and not too filling. Great served warm with cream, or cool on it’s own.

Lemon Meringue Pie, courtesy of Kasia (Flickr)

To serve 4:

For the Pastry
– 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
– 85g butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the pan
– 35g icing sugar, sifted
– Finely grated rind of ½ lemon
– ½ egg yolk, beaten
– 1 ½ tbsp of milk

For the Filling
– 3 tbsp cornflour
– 300ml water
– Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
– 175g caster sugar
– 2 separated eggs

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, and mix in the butter with your fingertips, until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the remaining pastry ingredients and knead briefly on a lightly floured surface, before leaving to rest for 30minutes

2. Heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/ Gas Mark 4, and grease a 20cm pie dish with some butter. Roll the pastry out to 5mm thick, and line the base and sides of the dish. Prick with a fork, line with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 15minutes then remove from the oven, taking out the paper and baking beans. Reduce the heat to 150 C/300 F/ Gas Mark 2.

3. For the filling, mix the cornflour with some of the water. Pour the rest of the water into a saucepan, and stir in the lemon juice, rind and paste before bringing to the boil, constantly stirring the mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, then lower the heat. Add 5 tablespoons of the sugar, egg yolks and pour into the pastry case.

4. Whisk the eggs in a clean, dry, grease-free bowl until stiff. Add in the rest of the sugar, and spread over the pie. Bake for 40 more minutes, before removing from the heat, allowing to cool and serve.